Tawa Tawa plant in the Philippines cure against dengue?

Department of Health (DoH) secretary Enrique Ona said that based on the initial research work of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the local herbal plant Tawa-Tawa “appears” to have “some effects” on rehydration.

“It looks like they [DOST] have already isolated the active ingredient in the plant and it appears that it really has some effect,” he said. Dehydration, aside from hemorrhage, is one of the common causes of death among dengue patients. Dengue survivors who claim they were cured by the plant professed that their blood platelets count increased after drinking boiled water with tawa-tawa leaves. Ona, however, cautioned the public against self-medication, especially in cases of dengue.